Mechanism for converting rotary into reciprocatory motion.



Patentad h lly I5. [902 m-uma. wmmucnm 03;.

B. H. LOBKE.

MECHANISM FOR CONVERTING ROTARY INTO BEGIPBDGATORY MOTION.

(Application filed my 8, 1901. Bun-wed .Tan. 27, 1902.)

(N9 Nodal.)

' the rolling of the coupler on-or in contact, with the inclinedshoulder shall be assured UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BRADFORD H. LOGKE, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

MECHANESM FOR CONVERTING RGTARY lNTO REClPROCATORY MOTlON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of: Letters Patent no; 704,810, dated July15, 1902. Application-filed May 8, 1901'. Renewed January 27, 1902.$en'al No. 911409, (No model.)

the following-is aspecification, reference-be ing had to theaccompanying'drawin gs, forming a part hereof. I

This invention relates to mechanism of the general charact'erof thatdescribed in my application for Letters Patent of'the' United States,filed February 23, 1900, Serial No. 6,174. In the mechanism described inthat application a roller or rolling coupler is employed between therotating part and the reciprocating part, one of which parts is formedwith an inclined or spiral shoulder upon which the roller or rollingcoupler travels for the purpose of effecting a movement of thereciprocating part in one direction, the reciprocating part being thenreleased and permitted to move in the opposite direction under theinfluence of the spring or other impelling force employed for thepurpose. In the preferred form of that mechanism the roller or rollingcoupler engages anannular groove or shoulder formed in or on-theothe'rpart referred to, and in such construction it is desirable' to providemeans whereby and the otherwise consequent slipping of the coupler withrespect to the inclined shoulder prevented. In Figure 6 *of the drawingswhich accompany said application a spring is represented as adapted topress the coupler into contact with the rotating part, and therebyinsure the desired rolling action. The spring is satisfactory inoperation under most conditions of use; but it has been found thatcertainty of action may be still further assured by employing atraveler, preferably'in the form of a floating ring or partial ring,which by its frictional contact with the rotating part compels thecoupler'to travel with it, and therefore to roll on the inclinedshoulder.

The present improvement will be more fully described hereinafter withreference to y the accompanying drawings, in which for the purpose ofillustration and explanation it is shown as embodied in a convenient andpractical form.

r In said drawings, Fig. 1 is a view in longitudinal section of' so muchof a form of mechanism as is necessary to illustrate the application ofthe invention, the central shaft being shown in elevation. Fig. 2 is aview in transverse section on the'plane indicated by the line2 2 of Fig.1.

In the form of mechanism illustrated in the drawings the reciprocatingpart a is shown as a shaft which may or may not be rotated. At asuitable point the shaft is provided with an inclined or spiral groove1'), one side of which forms the inclined or spiral shoulderhereinbefore referred to. The two extremes of the inclined or spiralgroove are -repre sented as connected by a passage b, inclined in theopposite direction to permit the return oftlie rolling coupler from oneend of the inclined or spiral groove to the other end. The rotating partc is shown as a sleeve which re ceives the shaft with a free fit, sothat the shaft mayfreciprocate freely within the sleeve while the latterrotates freely about the shaft, the

sleeve being provided with an annular groove d. The rolling coupler,which travels on the in- "clined or spiral shoulder of one part,engaging theother part at the same time, so that oneof the parts ismoved longitudinally in one'direction, and then being released moves inthe -opposite direction under the influence of a spring'or othersuitable impelling force, is shown as a ball e, which is the mostdesirable form for the coupler to receive. In the construction shown theball is received partly -in one groove and partly in the other, andrevolving with the sleeve 0 about the axis of .;theshafta'and travelingon the inclined or spiral shoulder of the shaft occasions the movementof the shaft in the direction of the arrow thereon. At the end'of theincline referred to the-ball reaches the return-channel b and permitsthe movement of the shaft in the opposite direction, the ball againengaging the other or forward end of the incline or spiral b. It will beobvious that in order to produce the desired longitudinal movement ofthe shaft a the ball or other rolling coupler 2 should revolve about theaxis of the shaft, although it is not desirable that the ball or couplershould be carried with the rotating part or sleeve positively, it beingdesirable, on the contrary, that the ball or coupler should beindependent of said sleeve as Well as of the shaft. As statedheretofore, a spring has been used to press the ball into contact withthe rotating part to insure its revolution and the desirable rollingaction in contact with the inclined shoulder; but in the present case atravelerfis substituted for the spring, such traveler consisting in theform shown of an open or partial ring, which fits freely in the annulargroove d and receives the ball or coupler 6 between its ends. In thedrawings the distance between the ends of the traveler is represented asonly sufficient to receive between them the ball or coupler c with thenecessary freedom; but as only one end of the traveler makes contactwith the ball or coupler it is evident that the traveler may be muchshorter. The action of the traveler upon the ball depends upon thefrictional contact between the traveler and the rotating part, and thetraveler, therefore, needs to have only such length as will secure thisdesirable frictional contact, and thereby insure the proper movement ofthe ball with the rotating part without having the ball or couplercarried positively by the rotating part.

In the form of mechanism shown in the drawings the reciprocating partand the rotating part are supported by a suitable casing t', suitablebearings being provided for the rotating part, and said rotating part orsleeve is provided with gear-teeth, as at k, which are engaged by adriving-pinion Z, or any suitable means for supporting or rotating thesleeve 0 may be employed. Means for impelling the reciprocating part ina direction opposite to that in which it is moved by the inclined orspiral shoulder are represented in the drawings by a spring m,which isshown as confined between the end of the casing 12 and a shoulder n onthe shaft or reciprocating part a; but it will be understood that anyother suitable impelling means may be employed.

It will be understood that the floating ring or travelerf by reason ofits frictional contact with the rotating part will carry the ball orcoupler beyond the lowest or dead point of the spiral groove intocontact with the side of such groove or the spiral shoulder at such apoint as to insure the rolling of the ball or coupler upon the shoulderand the desired cooperation of the several parts, while at the same timethe traveler, and therefore the ball or coupler, may lag somewhat behindthe sleeve in its rotation or may cease their movement of revolutionaltogether, as the conditions of operation of the mechanism maydetermine.

I claim as my invention 1. A device for converting rotary intoreciprocatory motion, comprising a sleeve, a shaft passing freelythrough the sleeve, one of said parts being arranged to rotate and theother of said parts being arranged to reciprocate, one of said partshaving an inclined or spiral shoulder and the other of said parts havingan annular shoulder, a rolling coupler for said partsengaging saidshoulders to cause longitudinal movement of the reciprocating part inone direction, and a traveler having frictional engagement with therotating part and coming in contact with said coupler to cause the sameto revolve with the rotating part.

2. A device for converting rotary into reciprocatory mot-ion, comprisinga sleeve, a shaft passing through the sleeve, one of said parts beingarranged to rotate and the other of said parts being arranged toreciprocate, one of said parts having an inclined or spiral shoulder andthe other of said parts having an annular shoulder, a rolling couplerfor said parts engaging said shoulders to cause longitudinal movement ofthe reciprocating part in one direction, and a partial ring havingfrictional engagement with the rotating part and coming in contact withsaid coupler to 1 cause same to revolve with the rotating part.

A device for converting rotary into reciprocatory motion, comprising asleeve having an annular groove, a shaft passing freely through thesleeve and having an inclined or spiral shoulder, a rolling coupler forsaid sleeve and shaft engaging said groove and said shoulder, and apartial ring in said annular groove having frictional engagement withthe walls thereof and coming in contact with said coupler to cause thesame to revolve with said sleeve.

This specification signed and witnessed this 6th day of May, A. D. 1901.

BRADFORD H. LOOKE.

In presence of ANTHONY N. JESBERA,

LUcIUs E. VARNEY.

